Cannes, France, May 17, 2006 / 22:00 pm
Film critics panned The Da Vinci Code after its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in France yesterday.
According to the Associated Press, “reaction ranged from halfhearted admiration to boredom to derision.” The film is to open on screens worldwide Friday.
The AP reported that “laughter rippled through the theater” near the end of the film at the Cannes press screening at what was supposed to be a serious moment in the film — when Tom Hanks' character, symbologist Robert Langdon, reveals a key secret to co-star Audrey Tautou with great melodrama.
"It's not a good sign when your film's big revelatory moment is greeted with laughter," wrote the Boston Herald’s film writer, Stephen Schaefer.